Spotting-mount for camera-dissolve apparatus.



E. A. FRITZ.

SPOTTING MOUNT FOR CAMERA DISSOLVE APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 19. 1911.

- L288 555Q Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

IN VEN TOR. FTHEN Am EN FR ITZ E. A. FRITZ.

SPOTTING MOUNT FOR CAMERA DISSULVE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-19. 1911.

1 88,555, Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR. fz-zzfizmzzm FRITZ Ea J51,

E. A. FRITZ.

SPOTTING MOUNT FOR CAMERA DISSOLVE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-19.1917.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- IN V EN TOR. 5mm ALLEN FRITZ E. A. Fmz. SPOTTING'MO UNT FOR CAMERA DISSOLVE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-19.1917.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- INVENTOR. 5mm ALL EN FRITZ BY fiEZRNEY. I

ETHAN annnn name, or sun rnancrsco, cnnrnonnra.

SPOT1INGMUNT FOB CAMERA-DISSULVE APAEATUS Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2 2, 1%18.

Application filed Dctober 19, law. Serial No. 197,508.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ETHA'N ALLEN L mrz, a. citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Fran- .cisco, State of California, have inventeda new and useful Spotting-Mount for Camera- Dissolve Apparatus, of which the following is a specification in such clear and full terms as will enable those skilled in the art to construct and use the same.

lhis invention relates to aspotting mount for an apparatus known as a camera dissolve, which is for the purpose of produc'- ing diiierent types of figures in motion picture camera Work or in ord nary stereopticon Work, or merely to cut of? or deliver the light to the screen in an expand ng ,or reducing figure from any given point or" the picture to'be shown.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that it is common in showing 1110-- tion pictures tostart the picture witlra spot of light which gradually increases in size until the'entire screen is visible, and in the reverse Way to take the picture oil the screen by decreasing the light thereon from the outside toward the center until the light is entirely cut 01%.

This invention provides means whereby a star, or heart, or triangle, or rectangle or other suitable figure may be made use of in bringing the picture into view, ,or removing it from the screen, and to at the same time enable the operator to start or finish the light beam at any desired point on the screen.

Another object of the invention is to produce an apparatus which is capable of showing the light upon the screen with the effect of a curtain moving up or down,'or of curtains moving from the center toward the side, as may be desired.

With the form of apparatus shown, various modifications of the light beam may be produced for the use of the motion picture operator with the different adjustments of the apparatus.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the dissolve mount, the tube being shown partly in section, and illustrating the manner of shift- =bearn from one side to ing the beginning and ending of the light the other of the center of the screen as ma be required,

F 1g. 2 is a longitu inal sectional view of the focusing tube. carrying the dissolve mount and showing the means for shifting 1t and for looking it in a given position,

Fig. 3 is a view of the crank used for turning the mount axially, as will be later explained,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the handle for operating the dissolve disks,

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the star dissolve apparatus with the supporting and operating disks removed therefrom,

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the operating plate removed from Fig. 5 and showing the slots which cause the movement of the diaphragm plates,

Fig. 7 is a back elevation of the dissolve disk showing the holes for connecting the disk to the mount on the lens tube,

Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of the dissolve disk showing the diaphragm for producing a heart dissolve, and with the operating disks and supporting disks removed therefrom,

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional View of the disk shown in Fig. 8 with the diaphragms removed therefrom,

Fig. 10 is an edge view in section of one of the diaphragm plates,

Fig. 11 is a sectional view of the slotted operating plate used in connection with Fig. 8 i

Fig. 12 is a central sectional view elevation of the supporting plate dissolve disk,

Fig. 13 is a central sectional View in edge elevation of the plate which secures the diaphragms, operating plate and supporting plate together, 4

Fig. 14 is a side elevation of the operating plate used in conjunction with Fig. 8, showmg the grooves for the operation of the diaphragm plates,

Fig. 15 is a back view in side elevation of the dissolve disk carrying the heart shaped diaphragms,

Fig. 16 is a View in side elevation of the in edge for the ing disk used in conjunction with" the apparatus shownin. Fig. 19 and showing the slots for operating the diaphragms,

Fig. 21 is a back elevation of the diaphragm disk shown in Fig. 19 and lllustrating the supporting plate,

F ig. 22 isan enlarged view of the locknut and stop screw,

Fig. 23 is a side elevation, with the stop block shown in section, of the screw for 1 stopping the dissolve action at any given Qapoint, 1 I

Fig. 24 is a side elevatian of a screw for looking the disk upport, plate and disk ina given position hen once set,

' Fig. is a transverse sectlonal view of an the front plate within which the diaphragm and supporting plates are mounted,

I Fig. 26 is a sectional view in edge eleva-v tion of one of the diaphragm plates nsed in Fig. 21, r.

Fig.- 27 is a-transverse sectional view of the slotted operating plate, the line of section being shown at 27-27 Fig. 20.

The numeral 1 indicates the focusing tubev which is slidably mounted within a tube 2, cc which is fastened to any suitable part of the camera front or fixture of the moving picture camera by means of the flange 3. The tube l is provided with a pin 4 which moves in a slot 5 in the tube 2 to limit the movement of the tube 1. A thumb screw 6 enables the focusing tube to be locked in any desired position. At the front of the focusing tube there is a dissolve mount tube 7.-

.This tube is 'revolubly mounted with respect to to the tube 1, and is secured thereto by means of the flange ring 8, which ring has a casing '9 at its upper end to receive a worm 10 revoluble therein for the purpose of adjusting the position of the tube 7. The flange of the tube 7 which is held under the flange of the ring 8, is provided with teeth as indi cated at 11 which mesh with the threads of the worm 10, and said wormis rotated by means of the thumbv screw 12, or if it is to be rotated a considerable amount-the hand crank 13 may be used, in which event the squared portion 14 is inserted in the slot 15 of the thumb screw.

The flange ring 8 is threaded on a ring that the worm wheel rotates the short tube '16 which surrounds the outer end of i the tube 1- and which is held in place thereon by means of the snap pins 17 and 18, said pins being pressed into position shown in Fig. 2 by means of the surrounding helical springs 19 and 20, but whenever it is-desired tov disconnect the ring 16 from the tube 1 the pins 17 and 18 may be moved outwardly in their casings 21 22 to release them from said tube and thereby permit the removal of the mount, and it is with respect to the ring 16 7. The short tube 7 has a wide flange 23 at its upper end, which flange carries a pin 24 havin an enlarged head 25, and which in may e locked many given position by means of the thumb nut 26 threaded thereon. A spring 27 bears upon the pin 24 and holds it normally in the position shown in Fig. 1, although by reason" of the radially extending slot 28 in the face of the flange 23, said pin may be moved radially with respect to the tube 7.

At the opposite side of the flange 23,-there is a cross bar 29 provided with a plurality of holes, and-said cross bar has the same curvature as the slot 30 which has its center at the pin-24. The flange 23 has a slot within said bar as shown at 30;, and a block 31 is slidable therein, which block also carries a pin 32, said pin having a head 33 to engage the back of the dissolve supporting plate.

z The block 31 "is hollow to receivea pin 34 around which is a'small helical spring 35 bearing upon a flange 36 of said pin and tending to hold it in engagement with the bar 29. This pin maybe moved outwardly out of engagement with said bar by means of the head37 attached to its outer end. It is therefore possible to move the pin 32 to any one of a number of positions along the slot 30, and to lock it in that'position by means of the pin 34. U 1

The dissolve apparatus proper consists of a plate 40 having suitable radially extending recesses 41 therein to receive the plates 42 and bars 43, which make up the iris diaphragm of the dissolve apparatus. Each pair of plates 42, 43 is suitably connected together, and there is a pin 44 projecting from each pair which serves to operate the plates in the proper time, as the slotted cam plate is revolved to produce the desired figure.

In the first instance, a. dissolve apparatus having five plates and producing the star shape, is made use of.

It is to be observed at this point that the severalplates making up the dissolve apparatus are all shown in cross section in Figs. 9 to 13 for the star, heart and triangle figures, although, of course, the slotted plate is provided with a diflerent number of 5105s in each instance when the plates 42 are in sorted in positiomthe slotted cam disk 45 is placed thereover, the pins 44 then engaging the slots 46 in said .disk. This disk has an arm 47 secured thereto and threaded at 48 to receive the operating handle 49. A ring 49 retains another ring 50 which holds the plates 42 and cam ring in place, and the ring has a scarf joined at 51 in order to a disk or rin reduce the thickness of the apparatus. This ring is also provided with two holes 52, 53, which enable the dissolve apparatus to be detachably secured upon the ins 24, 32 of the mount. Whereupon the issolve apparatus may be rotated to bring the dissolve to produce a uniformly increasing or diminishing heart shaped figure from the beam of light upon the screen. In this instance, the plates 42 are mounted upon 61 with fifteen grooves to receive said p ates. This late is also prov1ded with the stop thum screw 57, and the disk has an arm 61 connected therewith to which the handle 49 may 'be connected for the opening and closing of the figure to any desired position of the light beam, and when rotated to a particular position the dissolve apparatus is fixed in that position by means of the thumb screw 54 which bears upon a block 55 in turn bearin upon the edge of the ring 51 to lock it an d the ring 49 together. The desired figure efi'ect is produced by giving a suit-, able shape to the ends of the plates 42, and by moving them away from the center of the figure or toward the center of the figure at suitable rates to produce the desired fig ure. In the mechanism shdwn in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 there are five of the slots 46, one for each plate 42, and the slots are all precisely alike thereby causing the plates 42 to move away from the center or toward the center all in the same, time, and as soon as it may happen that it is desired to reduce the figure or to expand it, as the case may be, to a given amount only, the arm 4 may be stopped in its travel along the slot 56 by means of the thumb screw 57, the latter beangle figure is looking t diaphragm lates. This plate also has the ad ustmg p ate 50 at its back, and the ring 49 1s {P801581}? the same as the ring used with t e previous form of the invention.

This a umb screw 54 to hold the apparatus in a fixed position with respect to the plate 50.

Figs.- 16, 17 and -18 show a slightly modified form of the apparatus in which a triroduced. In this form of the apparatus, t e plate is provided with alonger slot 66 in which the arm 67 of the slotted. ring 68 moves; this beingnecessary to give the plates thedesired movement in a suitable time. One of the stop screws 57 is also used in conjunction with this form of the invention, and the plates 42 are three in number.

In this form o f the invention, the ring 49 is made use of precisely as in the previparatus is also provided with thethumb ous forms of the invention, as well as the I position with respect to the plate 50.

ing threaded into a block 58, which is capable of moving circumferentially around the outside of the ring or disk 40.

It is to be observed that, with the assistance of the adjustment along the curved bar 29, the rotation of the mount tube 7 and the rotation of the disk carrying the dissolve diaphragm plates, it is possible to have the figure begin or end at substantially any point in the "light 'beam proceeding from the lens.

It is also to be observed that rough adjustments in rotation may be made with the use of the plate 50, but that finer adjustments after that plate has been locked in position are made with the assistance of the worm 10.

Figs. 8, 1'4 and 15 show. views of the dissolve apparatus in which the dissolve figure is a heart. This apparatus is substantially identical with the apparatus shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, except that a different number of plates are used, and said plates are different shaped at their outer ends to plates toward the center, or away from the center, at such rates as may be necessary In Figs. 19 to 27 there is shown the parts making up the dimolve apparatus to produce the so called rectangle dissolve or curtain efiect dissolve. In these figures, the numeral 7 0 indicates the plate which is provided with four grooves 71 to receive the dissolve plates 42, said plates being four in number and operating at right angles to each other. The plate 70 is provided with the stop thumb screw 57 to enable the operator to stop the dissolve at any given point,

and it also has the stop thumb screw 54 to enable the dissolve apparatus to be locked in any given position with respect to the plate 50.

The front of the plate 70 is provided with four radially extending slots 72 and each of the bars 73 has a short threaded tube 74 rigidly connected therewith and extending at right angles thereto through the slot 72. The tube 74 has a thumb out 7 5 thereon in order to lock the plate 42 in any given position, and in order to operate'said plates there is a pin 76 which extends through the tube 74 and is connected with a thumb nut 77 at its outer end. The thumb nut 77 is provided with lugs 78 which are normally seated in slots in the top of the tube 74 whereupon the pin 76 will reach through the plate 73 into t e cam grooves 79 of theplate .80, thereby enable the plate 42 to close the aperture in the plate 70: according'to. the law of the cam I I spring 81 surroun the pin 76 holds the pin 76.normal1y in engagement with the grooves of the plate 80, and when it is deoove 79:. A

sired to stop the plate at any given point the pin is lifted b means" of the thumb nut 7'? and turned s 'ghtlly tohold it out of enga ement with said p ate, whereupon it may" e locked in that adjustment by means or thethumb nut 75, said nut bearing upon v It will be noted that there are four tubes '24, one for each plate 42, so that any one of the plates may be used to close the entire aperture or any two or all to-- gather may be used as deemed desirable. v This. form of the apparatus is especially advantageous for the so called double exposure work in which event the picture is takenfrom a, given position with oneof the plates 42 extending a portion of the distance across the aperture in the plate 70.

\ After a suitable number of pictures have been taken, or after one picture has been taken, if desired the plate can be 'reexposed with the opposite plate 42 extending to the arm 85 on which the handle e line with the other one so extended, vvhgreupon the second exposure .may be, \ma e.

The plate 80 is operated by means of the I 49' may be screwed.-

The operation of the apparatus will be clear from the pre '51. description, but

it is to be notedfthatthe tube 2. may be star dissolve, he may ports, orhe mounted over any suitable lens and any one of the dissolve plates may be mounted thereon. If the operator desires to use the place it on the supyuse eheart'triangleor. squareat."--

It will be clear also that while the star, triangle and heart dissolves may be used to produce only a single re with the finish or opening at any pointof the screen, it. is

possible to produce a plurality of eflects with-the dissolve shown in Figs; 19. to 2.1. With the forni of the invention shown in these latter figures, the light thrown upon the screen may. be brought into view, or out .oif therefrom either from the top or bottom thereof, or from the sides by simply fastening the desired; lates 42 out of use singly or in pairs; or-a except-one may be fastened out of use.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Lettors Patent of the United States is as fol-- lows, ress reservation being made of permissib e modifications. i I for motion we 1.-A dissolve. a paratus ture camera wor comprising a focusing revoluble tube whereby the -1 a any of its jad positions.

- ,sistin a "rad a yexten mg channels, a sense-of diaincense tube, adissolve mount tube carried the focusing tube and revoluble with respect thereto, a dissolve apparatus mounted ,upon. the latter tube, and means to shift the dis solve apparatus with respect to the tube 'upon wh1chit is mounted'whereby thebegmning or endin Y of the light beam upon a I radially exten ingshallow channels, a series of dia hragm plates in said channels, a.

groove cam plate adjacentthe diaphragm plates and adapted to extend or retract the diaphragm plates, \and a plate revoluble wit support of the entire apparatus.

.4. A dissolve apparatus for cameras com prising a revoluble focusing tube, a carrier or a series of diaphragm plates, means to detachably connect the carrier to the focus mg tube including means to shift the diaphra carrier laterally with respect to the.

focusing tube, and means to rotate the carrespect to the diaphragm plates for the rier withres set to the focusing tube'in' 5. A dissolve a aratus for camerasconsisting or arevo u le focusing tube, a diaphragm carrier, means to detachably connect the diaphra carrier to the focusing tube,'means to rotate the diaphragm carrier with respect-to thefocusing tube, and means where y the diaphragm carrier may be moved laterally with respect to the focusing tube, and means to open and close thediaphra at will. 6; A issolve apparatus for cameras conof a late having a plurality of phragm plates in said channels, a cam plate having curved grooves, pins carried by the diaphragm plates extendmg into the grooves of the cam plate for the operation of the dia hragm plates, a supportingplate rev-- olu le with respect to the diaphragm plates,

means to. detachably connect said supporting plate with. a lens tube, and means to movethe dissolve apparatus laterally with respect to the lens tube.

'7. A. dissolve apparatus for cameras comprising a late having a plurality of radi-.

ally exten ing shallow channels, aseries of dia'phra plates in said channels adapted to produce a desired figure when moved toward a common center, a supporting. plate revoluble with respect to the diaphragm plates, means to detachably connect said supporting plate with a focusing tube, means to move the supporting plate and diaphragm plates laterally with respect to the focusing tube, and means to extend and retract the diaphragm plates at will.

8. A dissolve apparatus for canvas consisting of a plate having a plurality of radially extending shallow channels, a series of 'diaphra m plates in said channels, pins carried y each diaphragm plate for the operation thereof, means to retract said pins, and a revoluble cam plate to retract or extend the diaphragm plates.

9. A. dissolve apparatus for cameras consisting of a plate having a plurality of radially extending shallow channels, a diaphragm late in each of said channels, a pin carried y each diaphragm plate for the operation thereof, means'to retract the pin to lock the pin in the retracted position at will, means to lock the diaphragm plate in any given position, and a slotted cam plate adapted to retract the diaphragm plates.

10. A dissolve apparatus for cameras having a plurality of radially extending shallow channels, a diaphragm plate in each of said channels, an operating pin movably connected with said plate, means whereby the pin may be retracted and locked in the retracted position, means to set each of the diaphragm plates in any desired position, means to extend or retract the dia hragm plates at will, and means to detacha lyconmeet the plate carrying the diaphragm plates with the lens tube of a camera.

n'rnnn ALLEN nnrra. 

